This invention relates to saws, and in particular to a chop saw having a novel dust extraction arrangement.
Chop saws, which enable bevel and/or mitre cuts to be made to a workpiece, are well known. Such saws include a support table in which is rotatably received-a round saw table having an extension arm received in a segmental recess of the support table. On the back of the round saw table is mounted a pivot block to which a pivot member is pivotally mounted for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the extension arm. A rod block on the pivot member is pivoted about an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pivot member. The rod block has two rods on which are slidably received a motor and a blade housing for receiving a saw blade.
The round saw table and extension arm include a slot into which a saw blade driven by the motor is plunged after cutting a workpiece received against a guide fence fixed to the support table. Plunging of the saw blade is effected by pivoting of the blade housing about the rod block pivot axis. Bevel cuts can be made by first pivoting the pivot member with respect to the pivot block. Mitre cuts can be made by first rotating the round saw table with respect to the fixed support table and fence. Longer cuts can be made by sliding the motor housing and saw blade along the rods. Such a saw is described in EP-A-0242733 and EP-A-0133666.
When a cut has been made by the saw blade in a workpiece, dust is produced which is preferably removed by means of a suction device. With this in mind, it is known for an open end of a dust extraction passage to be adjacent the support table to enable dust to be sucked from the support table to a collection point away from the support table. However, prior art suction devices have tended to be large in volume and unsightly. When the ducting or dust extraction passages have been encased in the framework of the complete saw device, the end result has been a significant increase in the size of the device.